This invention relates generally to office furniture and more particularly to workstations for use in office environments.
Office workstations are available in a wide variety of designs, ranging from individual free-standing desks to complex partition systems. A typical partition system may comprise groupings of inter-connected wall panels that are arranged to define individual work areas containing desks that may either be free-standing or hung off the panels. Typically, at least some of the panels inter-connect at right angles to provide stability to the partition system overall.
The partition system may have a fixed configuration with the wall panels extending from floor to ceiling. More usually, however, the panels are lower than full height and the partition system is designed so that it can be reconfigured to suit changing work environment requirements.
Cables for providing power and data communications services may be routed through the panels themselves to appropriate locations within the work areas. Typically, cabling is run overhead and then brought down through the wall panels to work height. Where the wall panels are less than full height, cabling can be run through a column or pole that extends upwardly from the workstation system to the ceiling.
A partition based workstation system has a number of advantages, particularly in terms of flexibility of overall configuration, and ease of reconfiguration as needs change. However, care must be taken when setting up or re-configuring a partition system to ensure that the panels provide appropriate support and stability for the system overall. As such, there is not complete freedom of lay-out.
An object of the present invention is to provide a new approach to workstation system design.
The system provided by the invention is based on the provision of a free-standing service trunk that can be used in association with at least one desk providing a work surface at a defined working height. The service trunk comprises an elongate self-standing structure having first and second ends spaced longitudinally of the service trunk and a top that extends between the ends at a height above the defined working height of the desk and that provides a generally horizontal storage support surface. The service trunk further includes means for delivering power and/or communication services from an input location on the trunk to an output location accessible from a desk associated with the trunk.
The provision of a free- or self-standing service trunk as the central element of a workstation system represents a novel approach to workstation system design. The trunk provides a fixed xe2x80x9ccorexe2x80x9d element around which the system can be built, using either free-standing desks placed adjacent to the trunk, or desk structures that are physically connected to the trunk or both. That is not to say that the trunk is immovable, though it usually will not be moved at frequent intervals. One or more desks can be appropriately positioned relative to the trunk and easily re-located as necessary.
Power and/or communication services are provided through the trunk. Normally, there will be a single input location for power and communications cables, and a plurality of outlets distributed along the trunk at relatively frequent intervals so that the outlets are accessible, whatever configuration of desk or desks is used. The cables can enter the service trunk at floor level, or from above via a power pole or other coupling arrangement.
In most applications, the service trunk will be provided with both power and communications cables. Preferably, the trunk incorporates troughs that extend longitudinally of both sides of the trunk below the top and above the defined desk height and appropriate outlets are provided either in the troughs themselves or in association with the troughs, for example, by way of one or more power/communications bars.
The top of the service trunk provides a support surface that can accommodate whatever form of storage is considered appropriate or necessary for the work environment. For example, the top can serve as a form of shelf that can directly receive items to be stored, or conventional storage structures such as bookcases, file cabinets or the like. Preferably, however, the workstation system includes storage cabinets that are designed specifically to be accommodated on the top of the service trunk. The top may also be designed to receive privacy screens or other elements typically found in an office environment.
Additional storage may be provided for use alongside the service trunk. Preferably, the trunk itself comprises a pair of gable ends that support opposite ends of the top, and an upright median panel that extends between the gables below the top generally on the longitudinal centreline of the trunk. This creates large recessed areas below the top on both sides of the trunk which can accommodate storage units, such as conventional file cabinets or specially designed free-standing cabinets, for example, mounted on wheels.
The median panel may also be designed to provide an array of horizontal slots into which can be hooked desk supports and other accessories for use with the service trunk.